Cyclone watch issued for Queensland and NSW as storm cell nears

A surfer taking on a large wave at Point Perry as swell from Cyclone Oma begins to arrive on the Sunshine Coast

Surfers make the most of large surf at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast on Thursday.Credit:Dave Hunt/AAP.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a "watch" zone from Bundaberg in Queensland to Ballina in NSW, including Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.

Oma was a weak category two storm early on Thursday, sitting about 950km northeast off Brisbane and is moving slowly towards the coast at around 10km/h.

"Although Oma is not expected to make landfall in the coming days, it will be close enough to produce direct impacts along the Queensland and NSW coast", the bureau has warned.

"Gale-force winds are expected to develop along exposed coastal areas of southern Queensland during Friday, well ahead of Oma, and may extend into coastal parts of northern NSW on Saturday".

Sandbags will be available at 38 Shamrock Road at Darra, 9 Redfern Street at Morningside, 66 Wilston Road at Newmarket, 33 Jennings Street at Zillmere and Herbert Street at Lota.

"We are starting to see the main swell packet from Oma starting to arrive on the south coast of Queensland now", Mr Hall told ABC radio.

However, respected models used in the U.S. and Europe now show an increasing likelihood of the cyclone making landfall in Queensland.

Hazardous surf warnings remain in place for Queensland as well as severe weather warning for abnormally high tides for people in parts of Wide Bay, Burnett, Gold Coast, Maroochydore, Moreton Island, Noosa Heads, Caloundra and Rainbow Beach.

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